


Foreign Exchange Club-Episode 4: The Bridge on the River Kawaii

by egyptian



Category: None - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 20:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19893592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egyptian/pseuds/egyptian
Summary: Will our heroes luck turn around? Stay tuned!(the answer is actually no.)





	Foreign Exchange Club-Episode 4: The Bridge on the River Kawaii

[Lynn is lying in her bed, asleep. It's the middle of the night. She's awoken by a knocking on her window]

Lynn: (opening the window) What? Is somebody out there?

Yayoi: (clinging to side of building) Hi! Mind if I come in..and..er..hide under your bed?

Lynn: Hide under my bed? Why would you..?

[There the sound of a commotion outside. A large number of people are shouting, then there's the sound of garbage cans being knocked over]

Gin's voice: You won't take me alive! Ha ha ha ha!

Cop's voice: Stop!

Gin: (sound of a struggle) Agh! No, not the taser!

[Yayoi walks over and closes the window, then slips under Lynn's bed. Lynn shrugs and slides back into bed]

Yayoi: So did you finish that reading for History class?

Lynn: Almost. 

[Roll opening]

[Cut to the field behind Seifun high school where the Wheel of Calamity is kept. As usual, Sakai high students have gathered, but only Lynn, Yayoi and Ming have gathered for the Foreign Exchange Club]

Lynn: Where is everybody?

Yayoi: I was the only one to get away. Thanks for the help by the way.

Lynn: What about you Ming?

Ming: (shrugs) Eh, I'm not really into participation.

[The principal takes his place on the stage, one of the faculty at the wheel]

Principal: Well, even with all the excitement we apparently had last night with alleged breaking and entering and theft of graded tests we're going to press on and continue the contest. Sakai high is currently ahead 2-0 over Seifun high school. Will this be the week that Seifun finally catches up? Let's find out. Spin the wheel!

[The wheel is dutifully spun, slowing as it passes Costume Party, Write a Novel, Destroy the Unbelievers and finally stops on Fix Up A City Park]

Principal: Well now this one should be exciting! Each team will be assigned a local park and given until sundown on Friday to fix it up. The two parks will be judged by members of the city council and the entry that is determined to be the most aesthetically pleasing will be the winner. Any questions?

Lynn: Ah yes...with only 3 active members how are we supposed to pull this off?

Principal: Oh I think you'll have enough help to get the work done.

[Cut to a prison bus pulling away. As it does the entire Foreign Exchange Club is seen standing on the sidewalk in orange prison jumpsuits-excepting Lynn, Yayoi and Ming who are dressed normally]

Gin: I can't believe this. 

Oki: You can't believe this? My parents FLIPPED when they heard. I'm going to be grounded until the heat death of the universe.

Kumiko: Don't worry. I'll talk to your folks, make them understand that it's all a misunderstanding.

Oki: A misunderstanding?! They'll never believe that! When the cops found us I had the blowtorch in my hand!

Kumiko: Relax. Like I said, I'll make them.

[Lynn wheels up a cart loaded with various garden tools. Several of the girls take tool from the cart and start to check them out. Ming takes out a lawn chair and sits down with her magazine.]

Gin: This is a ridiculous. What kind of challenge is this anyway? “aesthetically pleasing?” What kind of criteria is that?

Kumiko: It can't be helped. That's the challenge we have and we'll just have to make the best of things. We need to get a win any way we can.

Gin: But this is clearly just a way for the city to get free labor from high school students! It's too much like collaborating with the enemy for my tastes.

Maya: Gin's right, this is stupid.

Junko: Well then what should we do? Give up? We don't like it any more than you do you know.

Lynn: Look, it's not like we're being asked to do some impossible task. We just have to weed a few flowerbeds, maybe do some mowing. Easy.

[The camera turns to survey the park, which looks like it was used for a monster truck rally. The camera cuts back to survey the girls reactions, all of whom look stunned and despondant]

Lynn: (handing a shovel to Gin) Let's get to it.

[Cut to the various girls digging and weeding. Nanae is pushing a manual lawn mower back and forth across a huge area of grass. Yayoi is pruning a tree. Ming has put on a cowboy hat and mirrorshades and is walking back and forth inspecting the work the others are doing. Cut to Lynn and Kumiko inspecting a rickety old white footbridge.]

Kumiko: What a mess. They can't expect us to do anything with this, can they?

Lynn: No way. This bridge is too far gone, right? It's going to take more than slapping some paint on it to make it look right.

Kumiko: Yeah. Well, maybe painting isn't that bad an idea.

[Behind them a small bush walks erratically across the field, bumping into a tree and eventually crossing to the far side of the park.]

Lynn: I'll ask the Principal if we can get some white paint. It won't take long to paint one way or the other.

Kumiko: Good. I'll put Kiku and Shizu on that project. Those two aren't much help otherwise, it'll keep them busy anyway.

[Cut to outside the park. Gin slips out of the bush disguise, looks around and starts to leave, only to be cut off by two Sakai students]

Sakai 1: Well well, if it isn't Nakamura Gin.

Gin: How do you know my name?

Sakai 2: Word spreads fast. We heard what happened. We think it's downright shameful what they're making you do. 

Gin: How do you mean? Besides, it's the same challenge for your side.

Sakai 1: Not really. Our park was in pretty good shape. A few of us begged our mothers to buy flowers that we could plant and a couple shrubs. We've been done for a while. You however...well who knows how much work that dump is going to take to fix up.

Gin:...

Sakai 2: We know why they did this, the same as you know. You got in trouble a couple nights ago and now they're using this as a punishment. Forced to do hard labor by your captors. Why that's against the Geneva Convention! It's a war crime!

Sakai 1: That is, if you were at war.

Gin: I /am/ at war. (she pauses) Thank you Sakai. I almost made a terrible mistake. You are a very honorable enemy.

Sakai 1: Think nothing of it. If we're going to beat you we want it to be in a proper contest.

[Cut to Kumiko and Lynn looking back over their shoulders, away from the bridge. Gin walks through the hedge at the edge of the park]

Gin: I have returned.

Kumiko: You were gone?

[Gin walks up beside them and looks at the bridge]

Gin: Hmm, are we going to be fixing this up too?

Lynn: We're not sure if it's worth the trouble.

Gin: Oh we definitely should. The bridge is the centerpiece of the park, right?

Kumiko: I suppose. What's with this sudden and suspicious show of enthusiasm?

Gin: Look, I don't like fixing up this park any more than the rest of you, but the prospect of spending my summer tarring rooves and painting buildings, let alone losing the club is even worse. We have to defeat the enemy, whatever the cost to ourselves.

[Cut to Gin, Yayoi, Kiku and Shizu repainting the bridge. In the background Nanae is ripping a shrivelled tree out of the ground with her bare hands. Ming walks past and inspects the work.]

Ming: Is this all the more that you've gotten done?

Yayoi: You know, if you're not going to help you're not allowed to complain either.

Ming: I wasn't criticizing you! I was commenting on the piss-poor job that the convict labor is doing.

Gin: Funny that the “convicts” are the ones who are getting the better of the deal.

Ming: What? What do you mean?

Kiku: (paint-spattered and grinning) Painting is fun!

Shizu: And it's really easy too!

Ming: What? Why would you enjoy doing that? You're lying!

Gin: Ming, as we both know Kiku is incapable of lying. Besides which, it's very relaxing to just stand here and run the brush back and forth, chatting and avoiding doing any of the real work.

Ming: I should have known that you would zero in on the easiest job. Well this is the end of that! Give me that stupid brush.

Gin: Oh no, you go find your own job. I think Junko needs help planting shrubs.

Ming: /You/ go help Junko! You're the one who got in trouble. Now give me that paintbrush.

Gin: Fine! I'm going to tell Kumiko that this power is going straight to your head.

[Ming takes the brush and starts painting, while Gin walks away.]

Kiku: Jeez Ming, even I can recognize when someone gets Tom Sawyered.

Ming: What?

[Cut to a wide view of the park. As time passes we see the various improvements that the girls are making in the park. Paths and flowerbeds are weeded. Healthy shrubs are planted. A few old trees are cleared or pruned back. The little white footbridge is spruced up. The park actually looks like someplace you'd want to be after dark. The girls are all wearing nametags, as are the judges.]

Kumiko: Well I don't know how we did it but we did it. 

Lynn: Everything looks really good. All it took was some hard work and cooperation.

Kumiko: Conning the school out of paint and tools didn't hurt either.

Lynn: It's a little crime. I think they'll let it slide.

[Cut to Ming staring at her hands. Maya and Junko come over and look at her curiously]

Maya: What bit you.

Ming: I was hhh..I was hhhh....I hhhh....

Maya: Helpful?

Ming: Jeez, don't even say the word. What are people going to think of me? I think I got a callus. All my work protecting myself from any sign of physical labor and I throw it all away at the drop of a hat. I'm so disappointed in myself.

Junko: It's okay. We are all to blame. We were the ones who stood idly by and watched you do this to yourself, when we knew what the cost would be. We should have protected you better.

Ming: Wow..do you really mean that?

Junko: (kicking Ming in the seat of the pants) No, of course not! It's about time you helped with something you lazy bum!

[Cuts over to Kiku, Nanae, Oki and Shizu, who are all looking the bridge over]

Kiku: It's finally finished. I can't believe how good it looks.

Oki: Well it's alright, but it would have been nice to have had some lumber to replace some of the older boards with.

Nanae: Yeah, there's still a couple soft spots on the top of the bridge.

Oki: Also, we could have replaced the handrails, lathed out new spindles for the handrails and used a composite decking material for the walkway. It would have been nice to set new support posts while we were at it.

Nanae: Wow Oki, you sure like to work.

Oki: I just like things to be exactly right, but if we can't have that we can at least make them as nice as possible. Gin was saying the same thing, in her own way.

Nanae: That doesn't sound like Gin.

Oki: Well she said that everyone should get what they deserved. Then she did that scary laugh of hers.

Nanae: That sounds more like Gin.

[Camera pans up, we see night fall and the sun rise, then the camera pans down to the park. The members of the city council are walking around, carefully looking everything over and taking notes.]

Kumiko: Welcome! I hope that the hard work we put in will be enough for us to deserve your support.

Councilor: Thank you. It looks like you young ladies have done an outstanding job. I can't promise that you'll win, but you certainly will be getting a very high score based on what I've seen so far.

[Kumiko smiles, then once the councilor turns away she looks angry, turning to Shizu and barking out an order under her breath]

Kumiko: Where is Gin?

Shizu: I haven't seen her.

Kumiko: Go and find her! Find out what she's doing and stop it! 

Shizu: What if she's not doing anything wrong?

Kumiko: This is Gin we are talking about. She's doing something wrong. (looks away dramatically) She can't help it.

[Shizu runs off. The camera pans around, showing a number of the bushes have garbage cans hidden behind them, with long fuses that trail off to who knows where. The camera finds Shizu again as she runs into Nanae's back, causing her to fall on her ass.]

Nanae: Are you alright? What are you running around for?

Shizu: Gin is missing. Nobody knows where she is.

Nanae: That jerk. I should have known she'd try something, whatever it is. Alright, lets go find her.

[A series of cuts follows as Shizu asks all the club members where Gin is]

Lynn: Haven't seen her. She has to be somewhere nearby right?

Maya: She's not with you guys?

Junko: I thought..where /did/ she go?

Kiku: Who were you again?

Oki: Gin? I thought she was over by the bridge. Did she go somewhere?

Nanae: You already asked me!

[Cut to the whole group of girls searching the park somewhat frantically. Finally they find Gin sitting under an old oak tree reading a copy of The Fountainhead]

Gin: Oh hello everyone. How is the judging going?

Maya: Never mind that. We want to know where you've been and what you've been up to.

Gin: Me? Why I've just been sitting here and reading this book. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just enjoying the peace and tranquility of this lovely park that we fixed up through our own determination and the sweat of our brow.

Kiku: This act isn't going to fool anyone. What have you done with Gin you imposter?! Give her back!

Nanae: (cutting off Kiku with a hand) I think what she means to say is, your behavior is a little hard to believe considering everything you've ever done before in your entire life.

Gin: (smiling knowingly) What? I can't just be quiet and at peace? I always have to have some scheme or angle cooking away in my head? Ah look, here come the judges. (sinister look) Perfect.

[The judges approach the little wooden bridge. The group moves to the side, leaving Gin as the only person between the judging staff and the bridge]

Gin: Looks like everyone's present and accounted for. Now we can start.

Lynn: Gin, don't do..whatever it is you're planning. Please!

[Kumiko is running from across the park to catch up with everyone]

Kumiko: Gin! I figured out your plan! Don't do it! Please! We could win this!

Gin: (yelling back) But at what cost? At what cost Kumiko?

Councilor: Cost? Ms. Nakamura, would you care to tell us what's going on?

Gin: I'll tell you what's going on. War crimes! Crimes of war! Forced labor by captured combatants. It's illegal and immoral.

Councilor: (looking confused) I..don't understand. What war are you talking about exactly?

Gin: My war. The war which I have been fighting all my life.

[Cut to Gin at age 4 coloring in a coloring book]

Teacher: Gin, you have to stay inside the lines.

[Cut to Gin a couple years over learning kanji]

Teacher: Gin, you have to do all the strokes in the right order.

[Cut to Gin at age 8 with a math book open in front of her]

Teacher: Gin, you have to show all your work.

[Cut to Gin, age 10 at a crosswalk. A traffic cop is holding out his hand to stop her]

Officer: You have to wait for the light to change.

[Cut back to Gin standing in the park]

Gin: Don't you all see? If we go through with this then we're nothing. This challenge is a sham. I might be the nail that sticks up and they might feel the need to hammer me down, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. You shouldn't like it either but look at you! They come here with their clipboards like they're going to give us a fair shot, but it's a lie! Then you smile and act polite, telling them what /fun/ you had and what a /lesson/ you learned, when in reality it was all just backbreaking labor. Well go on smiling at each other! Nobody trusts me, but I'm the only honest person here! Fixing this park might be a good thing, but if you do it for dishonest reasons doesn't that make it a bad thing too?

Councilor: I have no idea what you are talking about.

Maya: What are you planning Gin? Tell us!

Gin: You see this plunger? When I press it I'm going to undo everything they forced us to do! Ha ha ha!

Kiku: Wait, that plunger way over there?

[Camera cuts to show where Kiku is pointing. The plunger is actually about 15 feet from Gin, not right beside her.]

Gin: Well...yes..

[Gin makes a break for the plunger, only to get tackled by the group well short of the goal]

Maya: (to the councilor) I hope you won't hold this outburst against us. Gin has been sick. She doesn't know what she's saying!

Junko: Yeah! We all wanted this park to be a special place.

[Kumiko's eyes widen as Maya and Junko talk. Mechanically, like a zombie she walks towards the plunger]

Kumiko: My god what have we done?

[Kumiko throws herself onto the plunger. All around them garbage cans explode, showering the park in refuse. Cage doors swing open, releasing mangy wild dogs, which run rampant through the park, chasing away the city council members. The sprinkler system turns on, the sprinklers spraying everything with paint. The little bridge explodes, sending fragments of wood flying skyward. At the bottom of the pile Gin laughs maniacally as everything fades to black. Cut to the club room. Everyone is present except for Kumiko, who enters and closes the door behind her]

Kumiko: Hello everyone. Well as you all have probably guessed we were disqualified for littering. Before we get on to regular club business we need to make a record in the club ledger. Yayoi, if you please?

[Yayoi gets the ledger and lays it open on the table. In it Kumiko writes the date, then “Gin was right and everyone else was wrong”. She smiles and closes the book, then turns to Gin]

Kumiko: Don't make a habit of it. You'll throw off the dynamic of the group.

Gin: I promise. 

Kumiko: Now then, shall we get back to important club business? 

Gin: Right. Well it appears that the newspaper people are going to go over to the park Sakai fixed up and take some photos. To prevent them writing an article which will make our beloved Seifun High School look bad in comparison I have gathered the following materials: One backhoe, one garbage can of badly rotted squid, one map of the local sewer lines and three bags of industrial grade defoliant. All in favor of Operation Cloudburst say aye.

Group: Aye!

Gin: All opposed?

[silence]

Gin: Motion passed. Operation will begin at sunset.

[The camera slowly zooms in on Gin until only her eyes can be seen]

Gin voiceover: Another loss? Just a setback. Every time they win, they expect me to retreat. Every time I win, they expect me to be content and rest on my laurels. They all make the same mistake. They think I am being stubborn, coloring outside the lines. I'm not. I am at war!  
[Roll closing]


End file.
